Metals are conventionally obtained from ore deposits by mining the ore and refining the ore at the surface. Substantial energy is required in most cases to break the ore away from the deposit into pieces of manageable size and to lift the ore from the deposit to the surface for processing. Further energy of course is required in the processing itself and the ore is frequently heated as part of the refining process. In some instances, the refined metallic product is obtained in pellet or powder form by heating the uncombined metal into the liquid phase and then rapidly cooling the liquid so that the liquid forms pellets, droplets, or a powder. The conventional mining process is wasteful of energy in that energy is consumed rupturing the ore and lifting the ore to the surface when all that is really wanted at the surface is the metal itself. The surface processing creates unwanted waste requiring disposal. Environmental damage caused by mining is an increasingly formidable and costly problem, and mining is inherently hazardous to laborers who have to work the mines underground. The need therefore exists for methods other than conventional mining techniques for extracting metals from underground deposits.